


Hank Is Dead

by GodSendConspirator



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Demons, F/F, Genocide, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Murder-Suicide, Rainbow Drinkers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-04 06:09:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2955074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodSendConspirator/pseuds/GodSendConspirator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kanaya loves Rose, but love only goes so far when faced with unlimited power.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hank Is Dead

Rose Lalonde buried her red nose deep into the spine of the black covered tome she read. The cold misted the air she breathed as her eyes pored over the book for the thousandth time. She knew this book cover to cover; able to recite any page and paragraph of it, much as bible thumpers know their holy text, such does Rose Lalonde. 

In her unmitigated concentration upon the text, Rose did hear the soft footfalls on the freshly powdered grass. Two Pale white hands covered Rose's eyes.

"Guess who?" 

Rose took a moment to answer, her otherwise somber lips turning slightly at the corners, "The Archmage," she answered.

Her girlfriend Kanaya took her hands away from Rose's eyes and said, "Close enough."

 Leaning to kiss Rose, Kanaya slyly nudged her gargantuan light reading closed and set it aside, taking it's place on Rose's lap.

"SO!" she proclaimed to Rose, "Where will we be going on my mystery birthday?"

Rose's book seemed to smolder for a moment as it ponderously floated up and into her bag, "It's a mystery Kanaya. I'm sure you know how those work."

Kanaya huffed at Rose, peeved that her girlfriend's smart mouth had trumped her again. 

Rose simply took to standing up and Kanaya jumped from her lap. Kanaya was much taller than Rose, but liked to lean against Rose whenever they were together. Except, of course, when Rose was drunk. Then it was Kanaya's turn to tote her girlfriend around. 

Holding Kanaya's hand, Rose led her out of the frostbitten park and into the streets of the metropolis they lived in. The morning was still new and the streets were dead. Rose led Kanaya through many blocks of snowy street and they did nothing, but walk and talk and enjoy each other's company. however, when the city woke, the pair absconded from the public places to find solace with the dregs of society.

The city they lived in was known as Skaia. It was a place of hope and progress, expanding for many miles in all directions and known for above par educations in magic. The higher ups of the city were the noble wizards and witches; mages of varying calibers all in pursuit of knowledge. They were known as Prospitians. The pits were cauldrons of dark magic, inundated with thieves and evil. The upper crust of Derse was inhabited by the destitute and the powerless, the petty thieves and drug abusers. The lowest levels held dark magic and wicked sorcerers; servants of the horrors of the pits.

Rose had been a disciple of the Horrorterrors for many years of her life. When she met the suburbanite of Prospit, she was allowed into the bright sun of Skaia, however, a sword has two edges and Kanaya was held subject to the judgement of the chasms.

Over time, Kanaya became accepted by her contemporaries in society and, just as Kanaya was able to meld into the evil of Derse (a benefit of her status as a bloodsucker), Rose masqueraded as an upstanding member of the Prospitian society, a socialite as much as she was a recluse. 

Kanaya was always wary of their descent into the dens of Derse. The upper layer was known as the Crust or the Dens. Lower levels adopted more sinister names, such as The Depths, Pits, Caverns, and the Abyss. Although they had never traveled farther than the Crust, Kanaya was wary as ever. For some reason, Rose seemed to be leading her far beyond the their normal haunts, into the mouth of the next level of Derse.

"Rose, darling, where are we going."

Rose smiled at Kanaya softly, "Just to this little shop I've found near the end here. They have some of the most wonderful fabrics. I didn't know which ones to get you so I decided to make the trip with you so you can pick them out. My treat."

Kanaya relaxed at the tenderness of her verbose love. She grasped her hand and leaned softly against the much shorter girl's shoulder. 

The bell of the shop rang as they entered. A short, dark skinned woman manning the counter eyed them warily, but Rose paid the woman no heed and they were not accosted. 

"I was partial to these ones dear," Rose said as they entered, gliding over to a rack of purple fabrics. She lifted a black angora lace and a purple silk skein out from the rack and held them to her cheek, "I think they match my eyes."

Kanaya smiled and chuckled softly at her girlfriend's antics. While Rose was normally well mannered and composed at social events, in private she often showed a modicum of immaturity Kanaya was not prone too. Kanaya picked the two fabrics Rose held aloft and looked around her. The expansive shop was replete with many different fabrics and tools of her craft. Kanaya was truly overjoyed over how well Rose knew her. 

So caught up in the moment was Kanaya that she never even sense the tendril of red energy that struck her through the mind and heart.

~~~

Kanaya's eyes slowly cracked open. A faint, warm wind had aroused. It felt as though a cloud had settled in her mind, making her mind sluggish and dimming her senses. She could see faint light around her red illuminating a red cave. Kanaya moved her head forward and saw a lone figure speaking to  what seemed like a wall of flame.

A turn of the figures revealed tanned skin and short blond hair, Kanaya instantly recognized Rose's face.

"Roo..." she managed to croak out, but she was silenced immediately and the flame flickered down to a candle burning.  

As Rose closed the distance between them Kanaya noticed she was crying. Rose waved her wand before Kanaya's face and the veil of misunderstanding lifted and Kanaya breathed deeply. 

"Rose."

Rose breathed raggedly, "I'm sorry Kanaya. I wanted to keep a numbing spell on you, but they're making me take it down. They said," her voice broke and she managed to gasp out, "They want you to feel the pain!" she sobbed.

"They? Pain? What are you talking about Rose? Where are we?"

Rose looked her in the eye, "We're in the Caverns. Kanaya I'm sorry."

"Caverns? What are you..."

Kanaya couldn't finish her questions as Rose lifted a needle from her waist and slid it into Kanaya's vein. She removed it and a river of green blood flowed through, mixed with the bronze of her last meal. Filling a simple bowl with Kanaya's blood, Rose stemmed the flow of blood and poured the bowl of blood into a flask, sealing it tight. Turning to Kanaya she said, "Rest now, my love. The next trial awaits. Rest, and feel the pain fade away."

Kanaya blacked out and dreamed of a more peaceful time.

~~~

Kanaya rested in the bright sunshine of the early summer day. The sunlight filtered through the abundant trees as she awaited her girlfriend, casting deep seas of shadow, dotted with islands of warmth and light. The uninterrupted beam of warmth on her face was abruptly cut off by a small shadow. Kanaya opened her eyes and fell under the baleful gaze of her girlfriend. 

"Rose!" she proclaimed, jumping up and cupping her girlfriends face. "Did you sleep at all?"

Rose blinked at  Kanaya and whispered in a rough voice, "No. Stayed up. Read."

Kanaya clicked her tongue at Rose's carelessness. Grabbing her hand she led her along the cobbled path towards the Park commons. 

"Come on Rose, let's get you something to eat."

Rose followed along limply, dragged along by the much stronger blood drinker. She was led to a burger truck and Kanaya sat her under a resident tree while she ordered her girlfriend a burger. Returning to the tree Kanaya saw Rose slowly nodding to sleep. 

Kanaya set fast food container on the ground and cradled her girlfriend's head on her lap, stroking her hair softly and watching her sleep. For many hours Kanaya sat with Rose sleeping. Not until the stars rose did she. Her eyes opened slowly and she stared into the sky, their surroundings dimly illuminated by Kanaya's glowing skin. 

Kanaya's hand slowly swept over Rose's hair, "Hello love. Have a nice nap?"

Rose stretched and sat up, "Indeed. How long did I sleep Kanaya?"

"Oh not long dear, but long enough to let your food get cold."

Rose saw the container of food and immediately reached for it. Munching on the cold food, she set her head against Kanaya's shoulder and stared off into the sky. Kanaya followed suit, setting her head against Rose's and allowing her eyes to close.

~~~

Kanaya's eyes opened once more to the inky blackness of the sky that she and Rose once beheld, but it now lay devoid of stars. As her eyes adjusted, she perceived the dim, smoldering glow of the fiery bonds that held her. She was struck with revelation and, in her pain, she screamed in anguish and fear.

From a corner in the cavern that she abode in the Depths, a shadow moved from the wall. As Kanaya's scream fell into nothingness, the echoes nothing, but a dream now, she awoke in anger.

"Fuck you." she whispered at Rose. "Fuck you! Fuck You. FUCK YOU!" 

As Kanaya's voice grew, Rose slid to the floor, holding her ears and sobbing quietly, the harmony to Kanaya's harsh melody. 

"Fuck you! Let me go! Let me out. LET ME OUT!"

Rose rose from the ground and pulled something from her robes. Amid Kanaya's screams, she pried her mouth open and set her hand against her head, pinioning her head to an invisible barrier. 

Kanaya's anger quickly gave way to begging as the pliers in Rose's hand gripped her sharp fangs. Her cries of hostility acceding to whimpers of pain. The pain of the pulling of her teeth was enough to nearly make her pass out, but kept awake by Rose's magic she felt the full effect of each pull and coughed the blood flowing down her throat violently up. 

"Rose... Rose how could you?"

Rose's crying face was now fully apparent. Her once soft skin now looked dry and cracked. ashen, only moistened by the tears which fell endlessly from her eyes. 

"I'm so sorry Kanaya. Please. Sleep." 

~~~

From across the park Kanaya could see the small girl reading a very large book. She couldn't have been more than five feet tall and the book had to weigh at least twenty pounds, but the girl carried it to the park every day and always sat in the same bench, reading for hours. Recently, Kanaya had noticed her presence. At first she was worried that the young woman could be a predator,but over time she realized that the young woman simply desired to read in peace. Kanaya had become smitten with her from afar, but had never found the guts to speak to the beautiful stranger. It seemed that her hand was to be forced, however.

"Hey, who are you ya' bitch?" a punk from the skate park attached to the actual park called at her. She didn't bother to lift her head from her book and the goon and a group of his cohorts strutted towards her. Before they could get too close to her, Kanaya stepped in and stopped them from proceeding.

"What's your business with this girl?" she asked. The young bibliophile still hadn't raised her head.

"Haha, what the fuck are you doing here Kanaya?" the young asshole asked her. Suddenly she realized who she was talking to. It was her former academy mate and friend Eridan. They had originally been very good friends, but had since descended into an unresolved animosity. 

"Get the fuck out of here Eridan," she growled. 

"Oooohhh, so scared," Eridan mocked. His hand lashed out and in it he gripped a white wand. A blast sent Kanaya to her knees and she screamed in pain as he boiled her organs. Her screaming seemed to draw the scholar from her studies and into action. With a wave of her hand she flicked the wand from Eridan's hand and bent his wrist back one hundred eighty degrees. He screamed and his goons ran, only to be caught in a web of fiery energy as she rounded them up. To each criminal she stared into their eyes and brought to the forefront of their minds their deepest fears. They screamed and writhed on the ground and, as Kanaya watched she found herself grateful that the park was empty. 

The graceful savant released her control over them and allowed them to run. Only after they disappeared from sight did she turn to offer  Kanaya her hand. 

"Thank you for the help. My name is Rose," she said, her voice soft and delicate, faintly reminiscent of the sound sand makes as it falls to the ground.

Kanaya reached up and grabbed Rose's soft hand, "I'm Kanaya."

~~~

Kanaya opened her eyes to the sound of beasts; growling and roars filled the air around her. They were in the Pit, surrounded by monsters and beasts, only kept at bay by Rose's powerful magic. One tried to snap at Kanaya's head and Rose snapped it's neck without a second thought. Noticing that Kanaya had opened her eyes Rose spoke to her.

"Don't speak Kanaya. Your mouth is till bleeding a bit. I don't want you to open up your gums again."

Kanaya reached to the spot where her fangs once stood proudly. Now she only found bloody holes. She began to cry. Rose saw and rushed to her side, comforting her as they moved along. 

She stroked Kanaya's black hair, cooing softly, "It's alright dear. This will be over soon. Don't worry."

Kanaya stared into Rose's eyes, remembering the love she had for Rose was the only thing keeping her from ripping her head from Rose's tender caress. Too weakened to move, her lift suddenly stopped. Unable to see what lay in front of her, Kanaya grabbed Rose's hand as she walked by her to what seemed to be the edge of a pit. 

She croaked out a single word, "Why?"

Rose rushed to caress her head and kiss her forehead, too afraid to kiss her lips, lest they bleed more. 

"Kanaya... I... I don't want to do this to you. I have to. It's.." she broke and sobbed for a moment against Kanaya's shoulder, "It's best that you don't know." was all she said. 

Giving Kanaya one last kiss, Rose turned and went to the edge. Kanaya could barely perceive Rose lifting her arms and chanting into the fire. Suddenly, the beasts seemed much closer to Kanaya than they were a moment ago. The crowd of beasts were swept aside as Rose descended upon Kanaya. Opening her mouth, Rose revealed rows of sharp teeth and a long serpentine tongue. Ripping Kanaya's clothes off, Rose dug her teeth into Kanaya's soft flesh, ripping her open. Kanaya screamed and screamed as Rose collected the torn flesh and deposited them into the large flask that she had cast the teeth and blood into. 

Reverting to a more human state, Rose added a powder to the flask and it billowed heavy black smoke. Capping the elixir, she turned to Kanaya and brushed her hand across her face. 

"I'm so sorry love," she said, tears still flowing from her eyes despite the monstrosity she had become.

Kanaya gasped in pain, struggling for breath. She forced herself to tell Rose, "You've brought me to hell. HELL!" she screamed with the last of her strength. 

Rose lowered her eyes, "Not yet," she whispered under her breath. 

Instead of blacking out again, Kanaya was lead by Rose to a cavern deeper than all the rest. The darkness was oppressive as they trekked through the obsidian Abyss. As they moved, Kanaya saw images of her life with Rose in the reflective obsidian. From her sobbing, it appeared Rose did as well.

Eventually, they came upon a great stone alter in the middle of a black pit, seemingly endless. Rose's magic fluttered and faded and she was barely able to catch Kanaya before she hit the ground. Cradled against Rose's bosom, Kanaya nestled closely against her, taking the only comfort she could in the face of whatever faced her. She could feel the tremors of Rose's sobs more deeply than the abiding evil that lay below them. She could hear only the beat of Rose's heart  against the roar of unmitigated malice that surrounded them.

She was lain on the altar, spread as though she were a delicate and sophisticated Roman from the elder times. From the times in which the dark beast's seeds of malice had first been laid in the world. The Horrorterrors that Rose served so fervently.

Rose's head came back into view, her tears dried and gone, but lying on the cusp of her eyes, "I'm sorry Kanaya. The ritual called for one loved above all others. And... you're the only one I love." 

Rose kissed her gently before she stepped back. Taking her needle from her robes, Rose made it quick and Kanaya closed her eyes forever.

~~~

The ashes never stopped falling from the sky. Sometimes Rose pretended that it was snow, but her fantasy never lasted long. The goals once sought for by her masters was on the cusp of completion. The serpents and demons rose daily from Derse, ready to destroy the civilized world. Skaia had been destroyed weeks ago.

Ever since the completion of the ritual Rose had overseen the destruction of everything. She led the armies of the Horrorterrors into battle and reaped the largest rewards, but with every life taken she saw Kanaya. 

She heard her scream in the screams of the slaughtered crowds. Kanaya's laugh rang out among the demonic revelry that the monsters she led made after each battle. She had seen all the destruction she could stomach. She though that this is what she had wanted. That this would lead the world to a utopia for her people, but she had only sown destruction. The demons slaughtered the Dersites as well as the Prospitians and any who stood in their way. 

She had seen enough. Rose raised her needle to her own throat, Kanaya's green blood still staining the striped wood. She closed her eyes and whispered a single word into the wind. Then she felt no more, adding a single cadaver to the mountains of the slain.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a really cocky person, but this one is good.


End file.
